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Department of Emergency Medicine Research

Research and collaboration in the department

Research within the Department of Emergency Medicine is a core mission of our department. The research mission overlaps and supports the other department missions of patient care, education and faculty development. The research mission engages faculty, fellows, residents, students and research staff.

The Department of Emergency Medicine has a long history of both intra- and inter-institutional collaboration. With over 120,000 patient visits per year between our two clinical sites, we have a large and diverse patient population. We are constantly seeking opportunities to expand our research mission and actively seek out additional potential collaborators both within and outside of our institution. Clinical research studies conducted within the emergency department at Ohio State are expected to have emergency medicine faculty input and involvement. We encourage potential collaborators to contact us early in their study design to ensure effective collaboration.

Current Clinical Research Topics

The clinical research program in The Ohio State University Department of Emergency Medicine engages in a variety of NIH, foundation and industry funded trials in addition to supporting the research efforts of departmental faculty and trainees. Some currently active protocols in the department include:

Expanding Antimicrobial Stewardship: A prospective, observational cohort study funded by the NIH National Institute on Aging to develop an antimicrobial stewardship program based on the use of health information technology for patients presenting to the emergency department from a long-term care facility. This study aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and correct prescribing of antimicrobials.

Cardiac MRI Strategy for the Management of Patients with Acute Chest Pain and Detectable to Elevated Troponin (CMR-IMPACT): A randomized clinical study funded by the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and led by Dr. Jeffrey Caterino at OSU in collaboration with Dr. Chadwick Miller (principal investigator) from Wake Forest University Health Sciences. This study aims to determine the optimum management strategy for patients with intermediate to high-risk acute chest pain. A cardiac MRI-guided strategy will be tested as an alternative to invasive management strategies in detecting significant coronary disease and the need for coronary revascularization.

Procalcitonin Antibiotic Consensus Trial (ProACT): A randomized, multi-center study funded by the NIH National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and led by Dr. Lauren Southerland at OSU in collaboration with Dr. David Huang (principal investigator) from the University of Pittsburgh. This study is designed to investigate the effect of implementing a novel procalcitonin guideline on antibiotic use and adverse outcomes in emergency department patients with lower-respiratory tract infections.

Improving Syncope Risk Stratification in Older Adults: A multi-center, prospective, observational cohort study funded by the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and led by Dr. Jeffrey Caterino at OSU in collaboration with Dr. Benjamin Sun (principal investigator) from Oregon Health and Science University. This study gathers information for the development of a novel risk-based predication model to increase clinical benefit and reduce cost compared to existing care of older adults who present to the emergency department with syncope.

Measuring the Effect of Ohio's Geriatric Trauma Triage Criteria: Using the Ohio Trauma Registry and funded by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Dr. Jeffrey Caterino is investigating the effects of the Ohio Geriatric Trauma Triage Criteria on outcomes in injured older adults.

Care of Older Adults with Fragility Fractures in the ED (COFFEe): COFFEe is a pilot study led by Dr. Lauren Southerland at OSU to identify and prevent ongoing morbidity and maintain independence after fragility fractures in older adults.

Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials Network (NETT): NETT was created by the NIH to conduct large trials to reduce the burden of very acute injuries and illnesses affecting the nervous system from a variety of pathologies ranging from stroke to traumatic brain injury, to seizures to meningitis. Ohio State's Department of Emergency Medicine participates in NETT in collaboration with the Department of Neurology and Dr. Michel Torbey (OSU NETT PI). More information can be found here: http://www.nett.umich.edu/.

StrokeNet: StrokeNet was created by the NIH to conduct small and large clinical trials and research studies to advance acute stroke treatment, stroke prevention and recovery and rehabilitation following a stroke. Ohio State's Department of Emergency Medicine participates in StrokeNet in collaboration with the Department of Neurology and Dr. Michel Torbey (OSU StrokeNet PI). More information can be found here: https://www.nihstrokenet.org/.

Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL): The Clinical Trials Network for PETAL is a network of 12 clinical centers and one clinical coordinating center funded by the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to develop and conduct randomized controlled trials in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Emergency medicine (Dr. Thomas Terndrup, site PI) and critical care at OSU will be collaborating in the upcoming PETAL studies. More information can be found here at http://petalnet.org/general-public.

Industry-sponsored studies: The department has a long history of successful participation in industry-sponsored trials. Currently active protocols include investigations of novel agents to reverse the anticoagulant effects of newer anticoagulant medications and the development of new rapid nasal swabs for influenza.

Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial (ESETT)

A prolonged seizure affects individuals of all ages, from the very young to the elderly.

Come learn about ESETT, a seizure study that may affect you or someone you know!

Status epilepticus (SE) is as a seizure lasting longer than five minutes without stopping on its own or without waking up. A person whose seizure does not stop despite receiving a full dose of medicine (benzodiazepines) to make it stop is considered to have established status epilepticus (ESE).

ESETT is a research study designed to try to save and improve the lives of people who experience established status epilepticus (ESE). Emergency department care of patients with a long-lasting seizure in the U.S. is not the same everywhere. Doctors use their judgement, but what treatment will work best is not known. This study plans to look at three commonly used medicines given in the emergency departments for ESE: phenoytoin (fPHT), valproic (VPA) and levetiracetam (LVT) to learn which treatment is most effective at stopping a seizure quickly.

Normally, researchers get permission before a person can be included in a study. A person having a seizure will not be able to give consent. Since a seizure that will not stop on its own must be treated quickly, there will not be enough time to locate and talk to the person’s legal representative about the study, so the person will be enrolled in the study without his/her legal representative’s consent. This is called “Exception From Informed Consent” (EFIC).

If you would like more information about the study or would like to decline participation, please go to our website or contact us by e-mail or phone. We would be happy to answer questions you have.

Get Involved

The future of research in the Department of Emergency Medicine is bright. We are strongly committed to growing this mission over the coming years in conjunction with the College of Medicine’s goal to increase our research standing. Both our laboratory and clinical research programs currently receive NIH funding, which we anticipate will continue to grow. As our research mission grows, we are anxious to recruit additional research core faculty and provide research training opportunities to our students, residents and fellows.

There are always opportunities for faculty, residents and students to engage in non-funded clinical research projects to address interesting clinical questions which frequently arise in the practice of emergency medicine. These projects frequently serve to help residents meet their graduation scholarly project requirement. For assistance in these projects please contact Dr. Caterino to coordinate support efforts.

Pernod G, Caterino J, Maignan M, Tissier C, Kassis J, Lazarchick J: D-Dimer Use and Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis in Emergency Units: Why Is There Such a Difference in Pulmonary Embolism Prevalence between the United States of America and Countries Outside USA?. PLoS ONE 2017 12:1 e0169268.

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